1) SPREAD THE WORD!

When your website goes live, the most important thing to do initially is drive traffic to it. This will help Google index it faster and start improving your SEO rankings immediately. Here are some ways to consider getting the word out:

• Email Newsletter – if you have a newsletter or email list, be sure to let them know that the new site has launched and even more importantly, how it can help their business or add value to them. MailChimp is what I use and highly recommend.
• Social Media – use your network of Facebook friends, family or co-workers to get the word out. You’d be surprised how far one post can go when it’s shared and liked. Are you active on LinkedIn, Instagram or other socials? Share away!
• Word of Mouth – word of mouth is still the most powerful referral. If you’re as excited as we are when your site launches, tell those around you! Get their opinion and see what they think about your new online presence. That’s valuable feedback that may come in handy when considering changes and additions to the site moving forward.

2) ASK FOR REVIEWS!

Online reviews are more important than ever. Particularly for businesses being googled and found online. A user will look at reviews almost immediately. There are many different ways and platforms and ways to get reviews.  Here are some we recommend.

• Google Review – this is highly recommended as Google reviews are generally what will pop up when somebody finds your site with an internet search. You can either have your customers google your business, then leave a review OR you can use this site to generate a direct link: https://supple.com.au/tools/google-review-link-generator. It’s super handy 
• Facebook Reviews – Facebook reviews are great as well. They are now a more reputable spot for customer reviews. Don’t be afraid to ask for your customers to leave a review on your Facebook page and have them share it. Or get their permission for you to share it.
• Testimonials for Your Website – after your website is live, we recommend gathering as many testimonials as possible to post on the website. Even if you don’t currently have any on the site, if you can gather 5-10 good, personalized reviews (usually gathered via email or off of Google or Facebook) we can set up a testimonial page. Visitors frequently look for reviews ON the site as well as on other outlets before making a purchase, calling or emailing. I recommend putting the best ones on the site.

3) KEEP THINGS FRESH AND UPDATED

After your website has been live for awhile, we recommend doing some things to keep it fresh. Particularly if you have a site with repeat or recurring visitors. Here are some suggestions:

• Change Out Images. We recommend changing out or updating images 1-3 times a year. If your website has a main image right when you open the front page, it’s important to keep that fresh and new. For the user, it looks like you’re taking the time to update your site and therefore making it more valuable for them.
• Colors and Layout. If your site has been sitting for more than a year or so, we strongly recommend working toward spicing it up. You might make some cosmetic changes to the action colors or menu bar. Maybe adjusting or adding some new graphics, images, and videos. Keeping your site fresh is a GREAT way to keep people coming back.
• Keep Your Information Updated. If information, staff, hours or services change for your business, be sure to change the website too! There’s nothing worse than having wrong information on a website. Or have a staff member’s picture on the page who doesn’t work there anymore. Keep your website updated and streamlined for your business.

4) BUILD SITE CONTENT!

A website is viewed by Google as being “alive” or “dead.” An “alive” site is driving traffic, getting new and existing users, being updated, posting new blogs and content. If your site is “dead” – e.i. not being managed, updated or taken care of – it can impact your SEO ranking dramatically. Here are some options on how to build your website content:

• Blog. Blogging sounds a bit overrated and useless to a lot of people. I can understand that. But the fact is – websites with blogs generally drive 30-40% more traffic to their sites than their competitors. Google will often pick up blog posts before picking up major website pages. If you can contribute good, lasting content that is well thought out and valuable to your customers, you will drive more traffic. Don’t be afraid to use social media and use your network to get the word out. It’s worth having someone maintain a solid website blog to drive your traffic and grow your online presence.
• New Pages. It’s good practice to not only update your images and graphics, but also your content! If you have more services to add to your site, do it! Google LOVES seeing a site that keeps growing. You can also repeat the steps above by reposting your site to your social media outlets and saying that you have updated images, content, new blog post. Whatever changes you are making at the time.
• Updated Content If things in your industry change or your services change, be sure to update your site content accordingly. Even adjusting content by a few words can show Google that your site is being worked on and is again…”alive”.

5) PROTECT YOUR WEBSITE!

Over 50% of all web traffic is currently spammers, bots, malware, and hackers. If you haven’t already joined with us in protecting your website, we highly, highly recommend it. You can find out more as to why here, but the fact is that sites are getting hacked left and right these days. And most of the time, for no reason more than a hacker thousands of miles away just happening to find a way in or a web spider that got through a hosting company’s firewall.

If your site isn’t protected and secured, it’s only a matter of time before there’s a breach. Our security plan lets you (and us) sleep better at night knowing that your site is protected in the following ways…